Gina Kuyers, left, and Margot Adams, right, co-founders of Luxeire. (Credit: Courtesy of Luxeire)
This Mother-Daughter Duo Makes Luxury Womenswear From Upcycled Plastics
Luxeire is a New York City fashion brand dedicated to creating stylish, comfortable and sustainable clothing for women.
Gina Kuyer says she’s been passionate about beautiful clothing since she learned how to sew and knit as a child. Though her career initially took her into psychology – she spent 20 years working as a school therapist – she found herself drawn back to her long-lost passion, crafting garments for fun that were well made, flattering and easy to care for. What started as Kuyers mid-life hobby quickly turned into a full-blown business, now known as Luxeire, that she runs alongside her daughter, Margot Adams. Together, the mother-daughter team is crafting luxury womenswear from upcycled fishing nets, fabric scraps and industrial plastics sourced from a partnering mill in Bergamo, Italy.
Here’s our lightly edited Q&A, from The Story Exchange 1,000+ Stories Project.
How is your business different from others in your industry?
Our dedication to solving real-world fashion problems through thoughtful design and sustainable practices. Our fabrics are made using econyl – a yarn created from fishing nets. Our focus on quality and craftsmanship ensures that our pieces are not only beautiful, but also durable. As a family-owned business, we offer a personalized shopping experience that larger retailers cannot match.
Tell us about your biggest success so far.
Founding this business.
What is your top challenge and how have you addressed it?
Traditionally, it is more difficult for women to enjoy a career as a disruptor, while also balancing the needs of a family. As a mother of four adult children, and having worked as a school psychologist, I understand firsthand how family obligations can shape career choices. I interacted more with the parents of my childrens’ friends and classmates than I ever did with executives. For women who have children, family demands create more disruptions to their career trajectories than men ever have to deal with.
What is your biggest tip for other startup entrepreneurs?
All people experience failure. Successful people use failure to learn, change and grow. Because learning isn’t exercising what you already know – it is overcoming what you don’t know. I left a career in school psychology, where I was an expert, and moved into a career path that was completely new and unknown. I have experienced more failures than successes. It is learning from the failure that ultimately delivered the successes that later came.
Persistence is important, too. When the pandemic hit, I turned my hobby of creating innerwear garments to pair with fancy, high-maintenance clothing, into an ongoing exercise in creating beautiful clothes that are comfortable and easy to care for.
How do you find inspiration on your darkest days?
My co-founder and daughter, Margot Adams.
Who is your most important role model?
Our manufacturer, Monique Wong, who works alongside us in the garment district of New York City. Her expertise and the dedication of her skilled team have been invaluable in shaping Luxeire’s growth. She’s not just a mentor but a steadfast partner who has always had our back, offering invaluable guidance as we’ve sought to scale while maintaining the quality of our products. ◼️
Instagram: @luxeire_ny
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